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Mychael Danna Biography

Birth Name:Mychael Danna

Birth Place:Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Profession Composer, Music department, Actor, Sound department

Fast Facts

  • Won his university's Glenn Gould Composition Scholarship in 1985
  • Studied music composition at the University of Toronto
  • Started composing in earnest after a surgeon told him he would never play piano again due to a hand injury, and when his works were published by the Royal Conservatory of Music, he went back to the hospital to show off
  • Blends non-Western musical sources and styles with orchestral and electronic minimalist music
  • Frequently scores independent or art-house films, working with such directors as Terry Gilliam, Troy Duffy and Marc Webb
  • At the end of his first piano lesson, he asked his teacher when he would get to learn to compose
  • Served a 5-year stint as composer-in-residence at the McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto

Awards

  • 1988Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
  • 1990Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
  • 1990Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
  • 1994Genie-Best Music Score: winner
  • 1996Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
  • 1997Gemini-Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series: nominated
  • 1997Genie-Best Original Song: nominated
  • 1997Genie-Best Music Score: winner
  • 1998CFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 1999Genie-Best Music Score: nominated
  • 2000Golden Slate-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2000Genie-Best Music Score: winner
  • 2002Gemini-Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series: winner
  • 2003Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
  • 2004Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
  • 2004IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
  • 2004Leo-Feature Length Drama: Best Musical Score: winner
  • 2005BMI TV Music Award-: winner
  • 2006ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2006DVDX Award-Best Original Score (in a DVD Premiere Movie): nominated
  • 2006Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
  • 2006Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
  • 2006IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
  • 2006IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Comedy Film: nominated
  • 2007BMI Film Music Award-: winner
  • 2007Grammy-Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: nominated
  • 2007World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Soundtrack of the Year: nominated
  • 2007World Soundtrack Award-Soundtrack Composer of the Year: nominated
  • 2008BMI TV Music Award-: winner
  • 2008SOCAN Award-Domestic Feature Film Award: winner
  • 2009IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film: nominated
  • 2010BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2011PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2011Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: nominated
  • 2011SOCAN Award-International Film Music Award: winner
  • 2012ACCA-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2012BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2012Genie-Best Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
  • 2012GAFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2012IFJA Award-Best Musical Score: nominated
  • 2012Sierra Award-Best Score: winner
  • 2012PFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2012SDFCS Award-Best Score: nominated
  • 2013Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: nominated
  • 2013Oscar-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: winner
  • 2013Saturn Award-Best Music: nominated
  • 2013Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music-: nominated
  • 2013BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2013Critics Choice Award-Best Score: nominated
  • 2013GAFCA Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2013Gold Derby Film Award-Original Song: nominated
  • 2013Gold Derby Film Award-Original Score: winner
  • 2013Golden Globe-Best Original Score - Motion Picture: winner
  • 2013HFCS Award-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2013IFMCA Award-Film Music Composition of the Year: nominated
  • 2013IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for a Drama Film: nominated
  • 2013IFMCA Award-Film Score of the Year: winner
  • 2013INOCA-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2013INOCA-Best Original Song: nominated
  • 2013OFTA Film Award-Best Music, Original Score: winner
  • 2013Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing-: winner
  • 2013Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score): winner
  • 2013World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Film Score of the Year: winner
  • 2013World Soundtrack Award-Film Composer of the Year: winner
  • 2013World Soundtrack Award-Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film: nominated
  • 2014Canadian Screen Award-Best Original Music Score for a Series: nominated
  • 2014Grammy-Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: nominated
  • 2014HMMA Award-Main Title - TV Show / Digital Series: winner
  • 2015Felix-Best Original Score: nominated
  • 2015Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: nominated
  • 2015Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score): nominated
  • 2016Annie-Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production: nominated
  • 2016BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2016Hollywood Film Award-Composer of the Year: winner
  • 2016IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for an Animated Film: nominated
  • 2016SOCAN Award-Achievement in Feature Film Music: winner
  • 2016SOCAN Award-Domestic Feature Film Award: winner
  • 2018Best Original Music Award-Best Original Music for a Feature Film: winner
  • 2018Annie-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production: nominated
  • 2018Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner
  • 2018Canadian Screen Award-Best Original Music, Fiction: nominated
  • 2018HMMA Award-Best Main Title Theme - TV Show/Limited Series: nominated
  • 2018IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for Television: nominated
  • 2018Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: nominated
  • 2018Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score): nominated
  • 2020BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2020BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2021Annie-Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature: nominated
  • 2021Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: nominated
  • 2021HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: nominated
  • 2021HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Feature Film: nominated
  • 2021HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Animated Film: winner
  • 2021IFMCA Award-Best Original Score for an Animated Film: nominated
  • 2022BMI Film Music Award-Film Music: winner
  • 2022HMMA Award-Best Original Score - Feature Film: nominated
  • 2022Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)-Best Original Song - Animated Film: nominated
  • 2022Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score): nominated
  • 2022SOCAN Award-Achievement in Feature Film Music: winner
  • 2022SOCAN Award-International Film Music Award: winner
  • 2023Irish Animation Award-Best Music: winner
  • 2025Canadian Screen Award-Achievement in Music - Original Score: winner